This message was sent out to our Austin location from our parent company in Fremont... I just wanted to share this with everyone as I found it very informative, especially inlight of some of the hate crimes that have occured.
-- Aaron

I would like to thank everybody whosoever showed up to hear about my beliefs yesterday in the conference room. As most of you are aware of it by now that I am a Sikh. Sikhism is the 5th largest religion in the world. Day before yesterday, police arrested one of my cousin in DC, who works in the US govt building. He was later released. Yesterday, as most of you might have seen it on TV, Police in Boston arrested another Sikh guy. He was arrested at the Amtrack station in Road Island Boston. He was my second cousin. They arrested him, took him to the jail and later on released him. Sikhs have become a special target of hate, we have setup a website, please click on the link and read about the latest attacks on the Sikhs. http://65.42.195.102/sikhs/

Sikhs are not part of Osama bin Laden, Middle East, Arabs or Muslims. We'd like to extend our most heartfelt prayers and deepest sympathies to everyone around the world affected by these tragedies. We pray for the victims and the family and friends of the victims. We pray for the courageous emergency medical teams, for the police officers and the firefighters. And we pray they'll continue to find survivors.

We are around 500,000 in numbers in North America. We are the only group in United States and Canada who wear turbans and have uncut beard. Only the Muslims of Taliban in Afghanistan are the ones who tie the turban. They do this because it is in their custom and tradition. Sikhs tie their turban because it is a requirement by their religion. Just because of medias ignorance, Sikhs are paying a very heavy price to it. Asama Bin Ladin is being showed on the TV again and again with a turban on, which has generated had against Sikhs in USA. Therefore we might resemble Bin Laden or Ayatollah, but have nothing to do with them. Moreover the followers of these individuals in North America do not wear turbans and shave their beards. We are being targeted due to our resemblance to some of the terrorist groups. Please recognize and support us.

Here are few of the web sites for more information about Sikhs:
www.sikhs.org
http://www.sikhnet.com/
http://www.burningpunjab.com
Thanks
(Name removed for aurthors anoniminity)

 

I believe part of their religion is having some sort of sacred knife on them. I remember that local schools were having a hard time balancing their students religious beliefs w/the schools no weapon policies. If so, I feel for them. They walk around with what appears to others as concealed weapons in very traditional attire. With this level of stress, its hard for people to say "He's probably just a Sikh" At the same time, to think that a terrorist must be bearded and turban wearing is not very observant.